A bit confused

[Cal_Newbie]

PH= 7.6
FC= 6
CC= 1
TA= 290
Calcium was way low, below 100
CYA:40

[CarlD]

PH= 7.6
FC= 6
CC= 1
TA= 290
Calcium was way low, below 100
CYA:40

In order of importance:

1) OK, you have CC, that means you need to shock your pool, all the way up to 15, then see if the CC vanishes. This is the most important task.

2) Next, your T/A is WAY too high--you need it between 80 and 180ppm and absolutely NO higher than 200. So you'll need to lower your pH to between 7.0 and 7.0 and aerate your water (see the stickied thread on lowering T/A.

3) You have a vinyl pool. Calcium is virtually irrelevant unless it goes over 500. You should NOT worry about nor attempt to increase your calcium level, and I don't care WHAT some guy in a pool store says about you needing it. If you don't have a heater, you don't need calcium. Period. Yet he will swear on his saintly mother's head you need calcium. He's STILL wrong.

[Cal_Newbie]

my mistake, calcium is 240

I will hit the CC in the a.m. to 15 ppm, how long shall I wait until I check its CC?

Yes, the T/A is too high, I have the pool return eye pointing upwards so that I have a very strong splash across the pool, very strong surface movement.
Shall the CC be done totally before the T/A or can this be done in relative time to one another?

Lastly, I do not trust the store..I trust only this forum.

Thank You Carl...

Bob-

[Watermom]

You can work on both at the same time, but getting rid of the CC is more important.

You want to hit the FC to 15, not the CC. You want the CC to be 0. (It was probably just a typo.) Just check the CC once a day. Plus, you'll also be able to tell because your chlorine demand should drop pretty significantly once you aren't fighting something in your water. Keep us posted on your progress.

[Cal_Newbie]

eeeeeeeeeek.......not having fun here.

OK, get the CC to 15ppm...no problem. Get FC to 0, ok. I need to get the Alkaline below 200, so adding acid in small amounts and bubble the water will work that down.... how often shall I check on this process?

[CarlD]

eeeeeeeeeek.......not having fun here.

OK, get the CC to 15ppm...no problem. Get FC to 0, ok. I need to get the Alkaline below 200, so adding acid in small amounts and bubble the water will work that down.... how often shall I check on this process?

You STILL have it backwards: CC is Combined Chloramines...you want THAT at 0. FC is Free Chlorine, the good stuff--free to attack any NEW contaminants. You want THAT at 15. You raise FC by adding chlorine or bleach. There is no way (or reason) to raise CC.

Lowering alkalinity is a simpler process than it sounds if when you know what the steps do. Add the acid to lower pH to 7.0 to 7.2. DON'T GUESS! Below 6.9 will damage vinyl, above 7.2 won't work.

Now, when you lower pH, it pulls the T/A down with it. The bubbling (aerating actually) is the ONLY way to raise pH without raising the T/A as well.

Then, when pH is back over 7.2 (anything from 7.3 on up) you add acid again to lower pH BACK to 7.0 to 7.2 and keep bubbling!

I would check pH a couple of times a day, but I would only check T/A once a day (like about every 2 acid cycles). That's merely a guess and a suggestion. You can measure them both more as long as your test chems hold out.

Don't worry about T/A going too low. From 240 to below 80 will take several days. Besides, lowering T/A is a pain, but there's NOTHING to raising it! Just add some baking soda--regular Arm&Hammer.

When your T/A is good (and I would NOT stop at 200, I would go to a much lower level) you can then raise pH where you want it by adding Borax --20 Mule Team Borax.

[Cal_Newbie]

roflmao....I am so sorry Carl, vicoden and pool chemistry are bad, bad, bad combo...had shoulder surgery so I am a bit out of the loop still. Got it, FC, FC, FC.... heads a bit clearer this morning........again, I apologize but I did get a good laugh.. now where is my power saws??

Bob-